The Yeti Crab

I’m constantly amazed at the beautiful, strange, unusual creatures there are in the world. I never could imagine such things existed. Some look like life-forms from an alien planet. Amazingly, new never-seen-before creatures are being discovered all the time.

For example, this is a Yeti Crab (Kiwa hirsuta). it was discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean. It grows to around 15cm long. Discovered at a depth of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft), it lives on hydrothermal vents.

The “hairy” claws of the yeti crab contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to convert carbon molecules emitted by the hydrothermal vents into nutrients. This is a process known as chemosynthesis. It may also consume bacteria.